Delivered with solar panels
The standard version of the Silent Yachts 55 is equipped with the first 2 x 30 kW engine and a 25 kWh generator. It includes 50m² of solar panels and some comfort equipment such as electric toilets. However, its price, set at 1,394,000 euros excluding VAT, needs to be supplemented by essential options, such as electronics or household appliances, and some others that can radically transform the boat. For example, it is possible to order a sailboat rigging with all the fittings and structural reinforcements needed to sail with wind power for 146,000 euros (excluding VAT). A Steyr diesel-electric hybrid engine that can power the Silent 55 at 20 knots for 105,000 euros ex VAT is also possible, but then why not change the name as well.
The options that make the boat attractive
To make the boat very attractive, there is the possibility, on request, to choose from certain wood species such as Burmese teak or American maple and to choose from a selection of fabrics and leather. But the real option that makes the boat so interesting is its E-power+ motorization, which with its two 250 kW engines, its lithium batteries and its big generator allows this catamaran to play the trawlers with a cruising speed between 7 and 8 knots, but without ever releasing carbon into the atmosphere and in a very pleasant silence. Even if the engines are placed under the floors of the aft cabins, one can hear more the noise of the propeller blades in the water than the noise of the engines. The price of our version was 1,906,893 euros excluding VAT and it was very complete.
What about the competition?
No other manufacturer has yet invested as much as Silent Yachts in the 100% electric concept, which explains why the Austrian shipyard is one step ahead in this field. This is a major advantage, as the development and reliability of the propulsion and energy supply systems is no small matter. Sunreef with its new "Eco yachts" range intends to start with a 60-footer and home-developed solar-powered panel systems. With a classic thermal engine, the leopard 53 power cat and the Privilège Euphorie 5 offer more or less equivalent performance with a better finish for the second and more modularity for the first. The spaces on the flybridge, freed from the constraints of solar panels, are much larger. Their price is much lower, but the sound and fossil-dependent configuration is also far removed from the eco-silent concept.
